Wisconsin Historical Society

Supporting Higher Education WHS Library and Archives Serve Students Statewide

The Wisconsin Historical Society's library reading room

In Madison, and all across Wisconsin, new and returning college and university students are mining the rich collections of the Wisconsin Historical Society to conduct historical research. The start of each fall semester has a major impact on the Society's library and archives as students begin or resume their studies. As one of the finest research libraries in the country, with holdings that comprise the nation's largest collection devoted solely to North American history, the Society's library and archives represent a treasure trove for undergraduates and graduate students alike.

In the words of University of Wisconsin-Madison history professor Charles Cohen, "Trying to pinpoint a specific collection at the Wisconsin Historical Society that is especially valuable is like trying to identify which course at a Michelin three-star restaurant is the most satisfying. What makes the Society such a treasure is the breadth as well as the depth of its collections."

While officially designated as UW-Madison's North American history library, students and faculty at public and private colleges and universities throughout the state make up a major share of the library's clientele. Rich sources on American history have long been a boon for UW-Madison in attracting new faculty and graduate students, and these collections have helped establish the university's American history program as one of the finest in the nation.

The relationship between the Society and the university extends beyond the history department. Special strengths, including archival collections in mass communications and in film and theater history — developed cooperatively by the Society and UW-Madison beginning as early as the 1950s — today continue to attract students and faculty from a variety of academic departments.

Students from virtually every college and university in the state visited the Society in the past year, and professors from Eau Claire, La Crosse and Oshkosh arranged field trips to the Society so their students could experience the research resources firsthand. Still, one of the major strengths of the Society's research collections is their availability outside of Madison. These collections served thousands of students through interlibrary loan, online research, and through the archives' unique network of thirteen area research centers. These centers make most materials held by the archives available for loan, allowing researchers to do their work close to home. In addition, records pertaining to each local area are housed permanently at the centers and also circulate within the network.